


No Words Needed

by halfbreedfox



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 23:31:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17477012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfbreedfox/pseuds/halfbreedfox
Summary: Keith is on strict orders for bed-rest after saving Earth from Sendak and the mysterious robot's attack. Shiro visits him and his haggard appearance causes Keith worry. In an effort to pull an answer from him, Keith impetuously speaks his mind about how he feels about Shiro and his behavior.





	No Words Needed

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this back in August of 2018 while waiting for Season 8 to be released. Keith yearning for Shiro is my favorite thing.

               Keith enjoyed it when Shiro visited him in the medical ward. The familiar face and the change in routine were all welcome distractions while he was deemed bedridden after the fight.

               So why was it painful to see Shiro today? The slump in his posture, the droop in his eyes. Keith could feel the exhaustion in Shiro’s effort to stand.

               “What’s wrong?” He could have risen from the bed, he was not that weak, but he knew the movement would be a disruption and shift the focus of his question.

               “Do I look that bad?” Shiro smiled in a way to lighten the severity of his looks, but he was not fooling Keith.

               “Did something happen?” Paranoia began to creep into the corners of Keith’s mind; did some new threat develop? Was someone’s recovery backsliding?

               “No. Nothing like that.” Keith let out a relieved breath. Shiro flopped into the guest chair at his bedside. This close, he could see the dark circles forming under the man’s eyes.

               “Not sleeping well?” Shiro sighed and shook his head. ‘Patience’ ringed through Keith’s head but he knew without prodding, Shiro would never tell him. “You wanna talk about it?”

               “It’s nothing I can’t deal with.”

               “Is it Adam?”

               A curtain lowered over Shiro’s face, withdrawing him further from Keith. But the longer Keith looked, the clearer Shiro’s feelings became; a flicker of confusion, vulnerability within his eyes.

               “I don’t recall telling anyone.”

               “I’d heard.” He saw the muscles in Shiro’s jaw clench. His dark eyes muddled with internal debate. Keith could all but see the mental door shut.

               “I’m sorry. I don’t want to talk about it.”

               Keith chewed on his cheek. He felt remorse for pushing, for opening a fresh wound in a sensitive and personal topic. But there was still the sting of insult from being shut out. The offense must have shown on his face because a guilty wrinkle appeared on Shiro’s brow.

               “Don’t be sorry.” An old habit rapidly bubbled to the surface, quicker than Keith could stop it. “It’s not like I understand what you’re going through; the loss of a loved one.”

               “Keith—”

               “It’s not like watching you suffer causes me pain too. Or not trusting me, despite all we’ve been through.” Damn; he thought he outgrew this stupid nonsense.

               “I do trust—”

               “I love you.” Keith wished the words had come out softer, wished they sounded more comforting, more tender. But he rushed them out in an angry, childish apology. No conditionals and no qualifiers attached; just his honest emotion, thrown right in Shiro’s face. Of course it stunned the poor man into silence. The quiet lingered for too long.

               “Listen,” ~~For the first time in a long time,~~ Keith lowered his eyes. “I know that everyone idolizes you as a hero. You’re my hero. You’ve been through so much, survived impossible odds. You push through to protect others, to defend the innocent, often putting your own life at risk. You accomplish these things because you know it’s too much to ask of anyone else, so you carry that burden. You know people rely on you, and you feel like you need to be this superhuman to save the day.

               “But I know you’re not superhuman. You’re Shiro and you’re just as human as I am.” He looked up. “I can’t have you killing yourself trying to be the world’s savior.” Keith expected some resistance, a frown or scowl for assuming Shiro had some sort of hero complex. But there was not. Shiro was quiet, with hands folded in his lap and sincere reflection occupying his features. A ripple of guilt just under the surface.

               “You’re right.”

               Keith blinked. He did not get to hear those words often. Shiro continued.

“I’ve been so concerned with ensuring the Earth’s future, I haven’t taken the time to step back and analyze my own health.” Shiro looked down at his metal arm, turning the machinery as if doing so for the first time. A truly marvelous invention that turned Shiro’s handicap into an advantage. “To realize how it affects you.”

               Keith chewed on his cheek. He got what he wanted; justification for how he felt. So why did it feel like he did something wrong? The silence sounded more like the chorus of a guilty verdict. He did do something wrong; he caused Shiro to doubt himself. He had to fix this, he had to fix this--

               “It’s not about how your actions affect me.” That was the problem; Shiro did not need to worry about him. Keith is self-reliant and he does not need anyone to worry about him, especially since there are so many others who need more help. “It’s about making sure you have the support you need. To keep on spearheading the way for everyone towards a better life.” It was faint, but a smile tipped the corners of Shiro’s mouth. Keith felt the heavy blame in his chest lighten.

               “So, you’re saying that I’m welcome to lean on you?” Shiro’s dark eyes lifted and met Keith’s. There was something in the action, mixed with those words, that caused a spike in his pulse. Keith’s face felt hot; he looked away. He heard Shiro snort in amusement, caught the slight shake of his head from the corner of his eye.

               “Of course.” It was easy to say. As sure as the Earth spun, Keith would be there for him; he always had. He had pulled Shiro out from the land of the dead. He would do _anything_ for Shiro.

               Shiro passed his left hand over his mouth, eyes low, thinking. But only for a second. With the same hand, he lazily flicked a finger towards Keith and asked, “May I?” Keith breathed out a “sure” and smoothed out the blanket. Shiro stood and reseated himself on the bed, facing Keith and leaning over as if he was going to relay some secret to him. He held that position, still as a statue. Waiting for him to speak was probably the most agonizing thing Keith had ever done.

               “You’re right. I’ve been thinking about Adam.” Keith immediately felt relief with an after current of forlorn bitterness. He pressed his lips into a thin line; some of the best help he could offer was silence as he let Shiro continue at his own pace. “I shouldn’t have left him the way I did when I deployed for the Kerberos mission. He was only worried about me.”

               “You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

               “But I could have listened to him better.” Shiro’s head fell and he cradled it in the palm of his hand, arm propped up on one knee. “It didn’t have to end like that.”

               “Shiro.” Keith could not let him continue like that, mentally torturing himself. He reached out, placed his hand on Shiro’s shoulder, bring him back to the present. His hold was firm and he hoped it was a comforting gesture. “Life can’t be lived by rehashing the past.”

               The soft tilt came back to Shiro’s lips, a little stronger this time. He cocked his head to look over at Keith, eyes swimming with emotion and a little bit of pride.

               “Thank you.”

               “That’s not what you want to say.”

               “You’re better at pep talks than I was prepared for.”

               “There it is.” Keith’s hand slid off Shiro’s shoulder. He could yell and stomp his feet for Shiro to confide in him, but it would all be wasted effort if Shiro could not let himself do it.

               “I’m sorry, Keith.” A warm sensation enveloped Keith’s hand; Shiro had wrapped his finger’s tightly around his own. It was sudden, unexpected, and Keith felt his heartbeat in his temples. “I’m not used to… opening up like this. I’ll need time.”

               “I’ve got all the time in the world for you.” Keith placed his free hand on top of Shiro’s, filling up everything he could hold with a piece of that man. Everything Keith had become, everything he had accomplished, everything he had gained in his life was due to the belief and actions of this man. It all began and ended with Shiro.

               “Thank you.” Almost whispered, it was more sincere, more close to the heart, than the first one was. Shiro squeezed Keith’s hand, pressed it firmly into the sheets as he leaned forward, tipped Keith’s head with a soft touch at the back of his head and kissed the man’s brow. It took only a few seconds, but the tingling sensation Shiro’s lips left on Keith’s forehead would last for hours.

               “Since you’ve checked on me, I should go check on the others.” Shiro’s smile was warm, a light that had not been there when he first entered the room was beginning to break in the gray clouds of his melancholy. He stood but was stuck in place, hand still captured by Keith. Keith did not know what he wanted, but he could not find the strength to just let go.

               “I—” He stopped himself; pressed his lips into a hard line. Should he say it again? Did he need to ask? Was Shiro’s gesture not enough? Did he need to push for more?

               No. Shiro’s answer was enough.

               “I’ll come by again soon.” Shiro squeezed his hand one more time. It was more than Keith deserved. He was thankful for the words as flowers were thankful for the sun. He smiled up at him, an expression that felt so easy and natural around Shiro.

               “I’ll be here.”


End file.
